Tales From Azeroth
by AnaQuinn
Summary: A collection of stories from my time in World of Warcraft. Some are short, some are long. Most of them are just written snapshots of my characters life/lives. I no longer play but I do enjoy the stories I created alone and with others over several years and posting them here gives me a good excuse to revisit it all. Original character/s. Just borrowing the 'world'.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: A lot of being a part of the fictional establishment The Celestial Dawn involved education and research. 'Boring' yet essential field trips, seminars, meetings and such were frequent yet necessary. The following are a couple of snippets from two such trips to two very different locations._**

 ** _Research Notes: Uldum_**

They had been briefed only that they would travel to Uldum to study the ruins, and no more. Ana had been excited for this trip, having never been there before, and she had taken significantly more time and care to prepare than she had for the failed and unproductive Northrend expedition.

Once at the Orsis ruins, the small group had dispersed, spreading out to cover more ground alone, but Aly had been apprehensive about exploring the sandy ruins alone and so they had taken a look around together, taking notes and trying to sketch diagrams and the like as best they could.

Tarcanus had told them that as well as any artifacts and material things that they may find while exploring to also note any energies that may have been out of the ordinary, and the one thing that Ana had been filled with and taken away from that place was a pervasive and lingering sadness and a sense of loss. She'd taken brief, scribbled notes along the way, but she would recall that emotion for some time to come and resolved that once she was home again to read more about the history of the ruins, and felt a little ashamed that she hadn't taken the time to do so before the visit itself.

 **Notes:**

 _Wind elementals – Aberration or completely normal occurrence due to sand storms and the environment?_

 _Hieroglyphics/Symbols all over the structures – What do they mean? And who could decipher or translate them?_

 _The structures – Was Orsis originally a temple or a city? How was it built? Who built it and again, what happened to it? More research is needed._

 _Bird statue buried in sand – Part of original structure or statue, symbolizing precisely what? What type of bird is this and why is it the only one of it's kind?_

 _Energies to note – Nothing malevolent, violent or unpleasant but a pervasive seeping sadness can be felt. Requires more research into the history of the area._

 _Altar of some kind – The symbols on the plaque on the wall are completely different from the others. Takes care to draw them with a little more concentration than the previous symbols. Discussion about whether the thing opens or not._

 _Set up camp for the night to observe the ruins and note any unusual activity, if any, by the light of the moon. (In other words, relaxation time, too much alcohol, endless dirty jokes and innuendo)._

Curling up in the tent with the moon shining so brightly later that night, Ana's only regret was that she had come here alone, although not entirely alone for the others were nearby, but she slept alone that night and she resolved to make a special trip back here again. Maybe even after the wedding, with Tindomiel. For all of the time she had spent in Tanaris, she had never imagined the desert could be so beautiful as it was there in Uldum, and she almost felt as if she were truly home.

 ** _Northrend: Research Trip_**

While I wasn't thrilled with a trip to Northrend, my mind on other things, I was still there on time and traveled with the others. Tarcanus was excited to show and teach us all that he knew about the arcane energies of the area we went to, specifically in Borean Tundra, somewhere near Coldarra, and the Nexus itself.

Once there however, what should have been a productive learning experience at the very least didn't go as I'm sure he had planned. I, personally, was distracted, Aly seemed much the same way and Bebe was behaving decidedly flippant and all over the place too. Maybe she was hungover, or maybe just having a strange day also. Who knows?

What I hadn't expected was to be asked to get near the energies, channel the "light" and then report any changes or feelings I got from it. Tonight, I -will- finish my notes and pass them on, however vague and sketchy they are.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: The following two shorts are firstly the unexpected marriage proposal and then the reaction of the pairs mutual friend, Tarcanus. Both were equally fun to roleplay through but Tarcanus' reaction was so funny that we were laughing with tears rolling down our faces as we played through the scene. Ana found it amusing and rather endearing but Tindomiel was somewhat mortified. In his mind the wedding would be a very small and intimate affair far from the public eye. Tarcanus had other ideas, as is apparent from this piece..._**

 ** _A Proposal_**

"That isn't the first time you have used that word with me, you know, forever," had been her response, cheeky grin engaged, her teasing of him lighthearted, and he'd become a little more animated the next time he'd spoken, his cheeks even turning pink in the way that they did sometimes when they talked of such things.

And it never ceased to amaze Ana how this man made her feel when he reacted or in fact acted in certain ways in her company, in ways that he reserved for her and only her and she'd known it already but not with as much certainty as she did at that moment that there would be no other for her. There was no other before him, and from this moment forward, it would be only him.

"Isn't it the most remarkable and wonderful thing to promise oneself to another in the way that we have?" He'd asked her, and there had been more words that followed, and she'd held her palms to his cheeks and kept quiet until he was done and looking at her expectantly, blinking, his face flushed, but his expression serious.

"Tindomiel, I am crazy about you, you silly man! It matters not to me whether it has been weeks or even days. I have never been happier than I am right now."

"Then, will you? Will you marry me?"

"Yes. A thousand times, yes."

 ** _It's Going to be Epic_**

They had broken the news of their engagement to Tarcanus Frostbourne, and his gleeful reaction hadn't entirely taken Ana by surprise. What had, however, was his explosion of ideas for the wedding itself. He'd asked if they had talked about things, namely the date, the venue and the ceremony itself to which Ana had replied, "Well, we haven't discussed the _details_ yet, although… Tindómiel wasn't entirely enthusiastic about the prospect of a large wedding. So…"

Tindómiel had closed his eyes and sighed. "Well, you see…" He'd snickered and licked his lips as he often did, but what he'd said next would serve to be his famous last words on the subject. "After thinking on it, I'm much less.. concerned with how that will be. So long as you're there and those magical words are spoken, I'll be quite fine."

"Oh. It will be epic."

And that had only been the beginning.

"EPIC!"

"Roses! Candles! Arrangements! Tuxedos! Dresses! Motor coaches! A magic PUMPKIN! Streamers! Fireworks! FIRE DANCERS! Torches! COLORS! LIGHTS! DECORATIONS! A.. parade!"

Tindómiel had looked afraid for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slowly while Ana had stood there torn between comforting him and laughing at the craziness of it all.

"Tarc, please. Tarc, calm down a moment. Let's not blow this out of proportion."

"HOUSE SINGSORROW WILL BE KNOWN FOR HAVING THE MOST FABULOUS WEDDINGS EVER!"

Oh Tarcanus, you crazy flamboyant mage, you.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Writing the vows**_

She balled up the parchment and threw it aside, adding it to the mountain of already discarded words, emotions and thoughts that she would try to write as she prepared for her wedding day.

How would she even begin to put on parchment what this man meant to her? How would Ana articulate in such a way the way in which he had changed her life and continued to do so every single day just by merely existing?

The task seemed so simple, yet so daunting as she would try over and over again to express such simple, yet such powerful things. This wedding, this union with Tindómiel Singsorrow would be the most important of her life to date, and it needed to be perfect. So she would keep trying until she found a way with words that proved to be elusive. She would find them, and she would write her vows and promises to this man whom she had no doubt that she would follow to the end of her days.

He was her light in the dark, her hope, her one and only love and she would find the words that she would speak to him on that magical day in the not too distant future in front of their "family" and friends, and they would be perfect. He deserved nothing less.

 ** _I'll see you in another life, brother_**

Ana looked up at the moon and the stars in the sky and then closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath of the crisp night air as she felt the sand beneath her toes and she sank to her knees and allowed herself to cry. Really cry. She finally allowed herself this one weakness and it poured from her freely and easily. She cried for the family she'd lost, but mostly for her brother. She cried for what would be one of the happiest days of her life coming in a few short weeks, but that he wouldn't be there to see it, and to share in it all. And she cried tears of anger that she'd been careless and allowed herself to be found, by the _one_ person she'd been so careful to conceal herself from for such a long time. She sobbed so hard that it hurt and finally, she didn't even know how long later, an hour, two, maybe longer, she finally stopped and in a hoarse voice whispered.

"I'll see you in another life, brother. I miss you every day, but I hope it's not this one."

 ** _The Black Frog_**

"Hello, brother."

Ana had simply blinked in surprise and elbowed Tindómiel lightly. What brother? She'd no clue he had other family other than the ones he'd mentioned, and they were by no means close, the opposite in fact. Or so she'd been told.

"Yes, this is my brother. "The Black Frog". One does not simply address him so boldly. It's unwise in most circumstances."

But the man had smiled at her, introduced himself and so she had done the same, as one does. He had taken her hand, kissed it and gone on to explain.

"Although my brother has not mentioned me, he has most certainly mentioned you, and his description was not entirely accurate, for there are clearly not enough words in our spoken language appropriate enough to describe such loveliness."

And with this, she had been won over, despite Tindómiel's initial "warning", of sorts. Evidently, he had come back from a long time away in Pandaria, and was to be a guest at their upcoming wedding. Abruptly, any further conversation or details outside of a little exchange between the two about estranged family had ended when the man had to take his leave again, but Ana was intrigued. And House Singsorrow would seem to grow, slowly, but surely.


End file.
